There are plenty of aspects that go into assembling a global girl group like KATSEYE. As fans of the Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy know, it takes various combinations and permutations to create just the right chemistry, look, and sound—a fusion found in the reality music competition’s six winning members: Manon, Sophia, Daniela, Lara, Megan, and Yoon-chae.
Since their official debut last year, KATSEYE has become one of the biggest girl groups in the world, amassing over eight million followers on Instagram and TikTok. Backed by their devoted fanbase (known online as EYEKONS), the group released their first extended play SIS (Soft Is Strong) featuring the viral single “Touch.” On June 27, the group is slated to drop their follow-up EP Beautiful Chaos, where fans can expect “a whole new side” of KATSEYE.
“It’s very, very, very different from SIS,” says Manon. “It’s a very new side of us. I feel like ‘Gnarly’ was the perfect little introduction, but yeah, it’s very diverse.”
Over Zoom, the girls are huddled around the camera and dressed in casual tank tops and sweats. They’re taking a quick break from rehearsals to talk about their latest venture: a beauty campaign with Glossier for the brand’s newest Lip Glaze launch. The glossy lip oil features six different shades, all worn by different members. While chatting, Daniela whips out her tube and applies her preferred shade: Icy, a shimmery blue gloss that she promises isn’t actually blue.
Glossier Lip Glaze in Icy
Glossier
“It’s actually pretty sheer. It’s clear. I feel like when you swatch it, though, there is a little loose sparkle to it,” she says, swiping it on. “It’s pretty glossy and sheer, and it sparkles. It’s so pretty. I always love a clear lip gloss, and it’s so smooth and creamy on my lips. I love it.”
Beauty is a huge part of KATSEYE’s group ethos. At the time of our interview, the girls have just returned from a set of shows in Korea, where they changed their nail designs for each performance.
“Our nails look a little rough right now,” Manon admits, with only Daniela and Sophia showing their manicures to camera. Sophia’s set features gems, butterflies, and (what else?) cat eyes. “The nails are a big, big, big part of the new era because we do the ‘Gnarly’ choreography,” adds Lara.
Ahead, KATSEYE shares their go-to getting-ready music and internet obsessions—plus, their beauty compliments to each other in the latest edition of Big Beauty Questions.
Glamour: What was it like working on this campaign with Glossier?
Manon: We’ve all been fans of the brand. It felt very authentic to us. Glossier, their team did a great job at making us feel super comfortable, so it didn’t even feel like work. It was just fun.
What’s a beauty trend you’re obsessing over right now?
Lara: For me, it’s an eyebrow slit. I’m so obsessed with it, and I have one right now. I’ve been doing it on and off since the documentary release, which was last September-ish, end of summer last year. So I’ve been doing it on and off, but now I’m so in love with it. I’m like, it’s here to stay.
Megan: I haven’t done this yet, but I’ve been really, really interested in doing it: bleached brows. I love the look. I used to put concealer onto my eyebrows to make the effect of that look, and I really loved it.
Lara: You have a good face for it!
Sophia: I’m the opposite. I love a dark like bushy brow. I was recommended to lighten my brow at one point just to try and soften it, kind of like how Yoon-chae has very soft brows. But I was like, oh my god, I love that thick, thick brow. I just think it sharpens my face because I have very soft features.
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Do you have any beauty fails?
Manon: So many. I used to have bleached brows, and it looked horrible on me. My forehead. I love the look, but my forehead just was huge and it didn’t really make sense for me.
You travel constantly. Do you have a favorite country or city that gives you the most beauty inspiration?
Sophia: I mean, when I go to Korea I go crazy. You can get makeup from there.
Manon: For me, it’s France because all of the French girls; they love to do a natural look so effortlessly but gorgeous. They also have really good skin care there.
What’s your go-to getting ready music?
Manon: Definitely Beyoncé’s Renaissance.
Lara: For me, I love Peggy Gou. I love house music. But also, me and Megan, when we get ready together, we listen to a lot of rap, a lot of Cardi B. We listen to a lot of stuff that hypes us, but it’s chill.
Yoon-Chae: I feel like me and Sophia listen to more chilled music, like indie, jazz.
Sophia: We listen to a lot of ballads.
Yoon-Chae: We don’t really like to listen to hard-hitting music getting ready.
What’s a recent social media rabbit hole you fell down?
Megan: Yesterday I was stalking this one guy’s feed; he sells the candied salmon, you know what I’m talking about? He sells candied salmon, and it looks so good. I went into his reposts because he reposts people that are eating it, and I watched all the mukbangs. So good.
Manon: Okay, for some reason…You know Role Model and Saint Laurent Cowboy? That whole thing that he does? That’s my whole For You page, it’s crazy.
Sophia: I’m a fan of K-pop, so I see a lot of edits of K-pop idols. Right now, apparently “Gnarly” is being heavily used in K-pop edits right now. It’s insane because I’m seeing all of these idols, and I love them so much. And I always see a lot of their fan edits, and it’s crazy to see them being edited to my voice, to our song.
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Do people create edits of you to your own songs?
Sophia: I literally save edits of you guys all the time. I’ll be like, “Lara, look at this edit of you, you look so good.”
What is your favorite emoji?
Daniela: The crying one, obviously. I use that every time. It’s funny.
Megan: I use the crying one, and then I also use the cherry a lot because that’s my charm in KATSEYE.
Lara: Mine is the black heart, the black heart is my thing. And also, the one that’s cute and crying. Do you know what I mean? It’s smiling, it’s kind of crying. It’s so cute.
Beauty compliment time: What is something you really admire about your group members?
Dani: I really like Sophia’s lips. I just want her lips. I just want that plumpness of her lips.
Lara: I love Megan and Dani’s eyes. I love how they do their eye makeup, the eyeliner. I love Manon’s blush. I love Sophia’s lips and skin. I love Megan’s skin and eyebrows and how she does her lashes.
Sophia: I love how recently Manon’s been doing a lot of freckles too. Manon and Dani have been having this cool freckle moment. That’s something I wish I could do. I’ve tried freckles, it doesn’t look good on me.
Megan: I like Sophia’s hair. She’s so good at doing hair. She’s a hair queen.
Yoon-Chae: I like Lara’s eyeliner. I could not do that. I could never do that.
Sophia: There’s that one photo where you did that look, you posted it on your Instagram. If you go to Lara’s Instagram and look for her birthday post where she had that eyeliner…
Lara: I’m so specific with my eyeliner, I have to do it myself.
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If you could change one thing about beauty perceptions on social media, what would that be?
Manon: It sounds so basic, but I really do feel like you can’t compare yourself to anyone on social media, because you have your own individual face and so appreciate that and make something out of that.
Sophia: It’s not about trying to replicate what you see on social media just from one person’s face. It’s really, each individual feature is so unique to you and it’s such a unique combination of beauty on your face. And so, it’s about figuring out your own features. Sometimes I’ll see a full makeup look, and I’m like, wow, I want to get exactly that. And then you get a little bit upset when it doesn’t look good. But this person has found what works for them individually. I think that’s something that we tend to forget, especially when we get references or we look up to somebody. Don’t forget that you’re also your own person.
Lara: Yeah, I agree. I wish that people would turn jealousy and comparison into inspiration. When you look at another girl, or anyone, and you’re like, “Oh, I hate that she looks like that. I wish I looked like her.” I wish people would use that and be like, “Let me try this, because she’s so beautiful.” Let it inspire instead of turning it into a negative. You’re beautiful, and I want to take some of that as well and share it.
Ariana Yaptangco is the senior beauty editor at Glamour. Follow her @arianayap.
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